Vengeance is Mine

1979

Japan

2h 20min

18

Directed by: Shohei Imamura

Written by: Masaru Baba, Ryuzo Saki (novel)

Cast: Ken Ogata, Mayumi Ogawa, Rentaro Mikuni, Mitsuko Baisho

Language: Japanese

Imamura's 1979 serial killer thriller based on the real life murder spree of Iwao Enokizu in the 1960s. Put together from police records and witness testimonials, 'Vengeance is Mine' is vintage classic Imamura: by turns stunningly misogynistic, sex obsessed, procedural and surreal, it contains the motifs of Imamura's best work. Held together by simply stunning central performances by Ogata and Mayumi Ogawa, this is a most welcome, unforgettable treat from the Japan's true crime cupboard